After years (literally) of working on this piece, the final part is finally here! These are the couples that for better or for worse I have followed and rooted for. I hope you have enjoyed reading this list as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now, let's finish it!
15. Ryan/Marissa (The OC)
This couple was the exploration of tropes for the writers it seems. Unfortunately, it was rare for them to just be happy as there was always some sort of drama going on which led to a lot of audiences calling the relationship toxic. Had their lives been more stable, the two definitely would’ve lasted. As it stands, Ryan’s saviour complex couples with Marissa’s huge heart that people would always take advantage of was not a good combination. Had they had a chance as adults, it definitely would’ve worked and was implied they would be open to it had she not needlessly died.
14. Serena/Nate (Gossip Girl)
Although they were one of the healthiest ships on the show, the couple still had their own problems. It was painfully obvious Nate was more invested in the relationship before and during their romance. Serena on the other hand lacked proper communication skills to make things work long-term (her tendency to run away when things get hard is a whole other theme to explore). Regardless, no one can deny they were the happiest when they were together and while it was good, it was amazing to watch.
13. Harvey/Sabrina (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)
It’s rare for the writers to piss me off this much but they managed to by not following through with this pairing. They had so much potential to explore - Harvey’s witch hunter family roots which automatically puts them in the star-crossed lovers trope, their communication issues and his journey in accepting Sabrina being a witch, and then they just… didn’t? They acted like nothing ever happened between them apart from a few cheap scraps the writers threw at us while focusing on other ships which I either tolerated or flat-out disliked. What a waste.
12. Chandler/Monica (Friends)
I feel like everything that could be said about this couple has already been said but they are probably one of the best friends-to-lovers examples I’ve ever seen. Chandler helps Monica become more grounded and she helps him grow up in the most beautiful way, to the point where he’s initiating the big momentums in their relationship. Without a doubt, the superior pairing on this show.
11. Piper/Leo (Charmed)
Oh, how much I loved this pairing as a child watching this. While nowadays I’m a bit more reserved as they do get a bit too dramatic and co-dependent in the later seasons, when the show actually lets them be together, they’re brilliant - there’s team work, communication, chemistry - at the end of the day, they are the best ship on the show, even with their shortcomings.
10. Samuel/Carla (Elite)
These two are the prime example of a ship that just skyrocketed to one of the top spots on my list. I did not expect to love as much as I did at all but colour me speechless. They are so messy and beautiful at the same time, we got so much with them and yet so little. I firmly believe that while at the moment their story seems pretty done, if they ever happened to be in the same place again, they would definitely reignite their romance. Also, that chemistry? Not easy to pull off.
9. Usagi/Mamoru (Sailor Moon/Sailor Moon Crystal)
While they are a bit out of place from the rest of these pairings considering they’re from an anime, I could not leave them out as they were pretty much the first ever couple that I shipped and boy, was I rooting for them hard. Past lives, star-crossed romance, enemies-to-lovers, they really had it all and I loved them with all my heart both in the original anime and the reboot.
8. Jackie/Hyde (That 70s Show)
We were so robbed with these two. By the time they became an item, the writers stopped caring about their job, which means their relationship suffered shortly after it began. Constant miscommunication and trust issues were hard to watch, and the whole Kelso triangle debacle was unnecessary. It was also sad to see Hyde refusing to commit to Jackie and while that itself fits his character, it was done in a pretty crappy fashion. Despite all that, when these two are written in character, they work brilliantly together and there’s a reason they’re the most popular and universally liked ship on the show.
7. Bellamy/Clarke (The 100)
Do I even need to say this? There were so many different reasons they would’ve made a great pairing and so many different scenarios it could’ve happened during but the writers just didn’t do it for what seems to be no other reason apart from pettiness. Not only that, they actually had Clarke kill Bellamy just to rub more salt in the wound, what sort of a sick mind do you have to be? I want to issue a group letter of apology to the fellow fans of the couple because we have Sufferred.
6. Brooke/Lucas (One Tree Hill)
I know, I know, they were only delaying Leyton’s inevitable endgame, and Lucas damaged Brooke’s ability to trust people for a long time. Overall, their relationship was doomed from the start as she always cared more about them than him. Regardless of all of this, there is something about them that is just so shippable? I think it mostly boils down to the natural chemistry the two shared (at least up until a certain point before the whole divorce scandal). Besides, their dynamic in season two is truly couple goals material. Oh well, a couple doesn’t have to end up together for it to have meaning to the story.
5. Chuck/Blair (Gossip Girl)
No, they were not healthy by any means. No, I would not encourage young girls to aspire to find a man like Chuck Bass. Yes, I think ultimately, Blair did deserve better. However, for better or for worse, the writers did build this warped narrative of these characters that does not resemble us mere mortals. Within that context, them being together works. Is it sad to think Blair went back to someone who treated her quite terribly at times? Well, at the end of the day, she made that conscious choice and for what it’s worth, she did seem happy in the end. While I stopped rooting for them for a while during the show, one cannot deny they are the most iconic bit about it, again, for better or for worse.
4. Stiles/Lydia (Teen Wolf)
They really went from strangers to friends to being so in love that literally shredded barriers of existence. The way they were developed was done so beautifully, with Stiles crushing on her from afar to actually getting to know Lydia without idolising her, as well as Lydia coming to see all that Stiles is and what they could be. The only shame is Dylan o’Brien leaving the show early which meant the fans didn’t actually get any of moments as a couple but what can you do about that, right?
3. Damon/Elena (The Vampire Diaries)
There have been few other couples I followed this religiously. I wanted to see them together so much as their dynamic had so much potential - the chemistry, sexual tension, understanding each other in a way no one else around them did - there was a lot to explore. Was it done perfectly once they finally got together? Not really. There’s a lot I wanted to see for them that just didn’t happen and a lot of direction the writers took didn’t feel very satisfying. We still got their endgame though, so I’ll take that!
2. Buffy/Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
I can’t believe there was a time I didn’t like this couple. The amount of love these two share, their constant desire to be together, their chemistry, the way they would do anything for one another is heart-breaking to watch. The only reason they cannot be together is because of their callings but that doesn’t stop the longing, even when they are with other people. They truly are each other’s big loves and nothing can change that.
1. Jake/Amy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
I could write a book about them. They’re the closest thing one could have to real life couple goals one could see on TV. Sure, they don’t have explosive moments in the rain or past lives or whatever but they’re everything a loving relationship is - they support one another, care about each other’s interests, they sacrifice stuff for another’s success, they’re attracted to each other - it’s the whole package. The show did great justice to their relationship without making everything about them and I’ll forever be grateful that we have the representation of a romance this healthy in the media.